𝙶𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔 💋

How Do I love my body?

How To *Really* Love Your Body

Start by trying to view your body as neutral.

I know these days, the body positivity movement is really trendy, and everyone is pressuring everyone else to love their body. But to love your body, you first have to stop hating it.

So what is body neutrality? It's not about loving one's appearance, it's not about loving your body looks like but what it can do for you. For example, if you have stretch marks, they don't need to be *beautiful* to you. They don't have to be "tiger stripes" or anything cute. They can just be stretch marks. Parts of your body that you find ugly don't have to be ugly. They can just exist.

If I gain ten pounds, I just happen to weigh ten pounds more than I did before. I don't have to make it mean that I'm ugly, fat, lacking self-control, or anything else. If I happen to be short, I don't have to think that I'm too short. I just happen to be whatever height I am. The facts about your body are facts. The only reason you feel bad about them is that

The point of body neutrality is to exist in your body without love or hate. Give thanks for things your body can do. For example, focus on getting strong when you work out, instead of getting skinny. Exercise so you can run, so you can be healthy, so you can bring all the grocery bags in from the car in one trip. Eat so you can live, so you can fuel your body, so you can feel strong and healthy.

Don't view food and exercise as punishments.

What do I mean by this? Don't exercise because you ate a slice of pizza or too much cake and you think you now have to punish yourself by burning it off. Don't eat salads because you think you're too skinny and have to lose weight.

Eat food that is good for you because you love your body enough to take good care of it. Exercise because you want to be healthy, not because you want to be skinny or because you want to look like a model or celebrity. Your body is the only home you'll live in all your life. Why not make it a good one?

Choose to treat your body well.

I'm not just talking about exercise and diet, which are important. Try to get enough sleep (7-9 hours) as well. I know we live in a culture where everyone is glorified for pulling all-nighters to do work or finish assignments, but why put your work ahead of your body's health? If you get sick all the time, you won't be able to do that much work anyways.

Choose to listen to your body before you burn out. Take breaks when you study/do work. Incorporate stretching into your morning/night routine. Don't buy clothes that don't fit you and get upset at your body for not fitting into them.

How to move from thinking poorly about your body to thinking positively about your body:

"I'm ugly" → "I keep thinking I'm ugly" → "My body has worth whether I think I'm ugly or not" → "My body can do great things" → "My body is a good body" → "I'm beautiful"

I hope this was a helpful post! Comment and let me know if there's anything I missed. 

Love, Nicole